Indian History After Independence
Rich in culture and heritage, India has had a victorious history. The country is bestowed with brave hearts. The incredibility of India in its past has left a wonderful seal in the books of great leaders. But everything has its own results. India became officially Independent in the wake of 15th August 1947. There was neither a strong administrative base nor unity in the country. There was an immense conflict concerning community, religion, caste, or class. Several problems were faced by India after Independence. Due to the Partition, there were hundreds of refugees in the country from Pakistan. India comprised the 500 princely states. All of them had to be persuaded to come under a single democratic nation. There was an immediate need to draw up a constitution for the new India. An effective political system needed to be formed, which would enhance the economy. The new political and administrative system was supposed to fulfill all the requirements and expectations of the citizens.
Post Independence Period
The condition of India immediately after 1947 was unsettled. There was a lot of development that was needed in terms of the administration, economy, living conditions of the homeless, agriculture, and social justice. In addition to that, there was no unity among residents of the different states. At that time, India had an enormous population of 345 million. However, people are separated by natural factors like climate and social factors like Hinduism and other faiths, high castes, and low castes. The language was an enormous barrier, as almost every region had a different language of communication. People wore different dresses, ate different food, and belonged to different professions. The majority of the population lived in the villages and were extremely poor. The livelihood of the farmers, weavers, carpenters, and barbers depended on the regular success of the crops. In the cities, the factory workers lived in huge and crowded slums. None of these people had proper access to education and health care.
Writing of the Constitution
After the partition ended, under the guidance of Dr B.R Ambedkar, the constitution of India was framed. The constitution was a mixture of different countries' constitutions. While framing the particular constitution, the main criteria were to look upon that the constitution will be a combined structure of sovereign, democratic republic. In the 42nd constitution amendment of 1976, 3 words are taken special care of. They are "socialist", " secular" and "integrity", making it one of the biggest democratic of the world.
The country's political future was discussed in a series of meetings by members collectively known as the Constituent Assembly. The assembly was held in New Delhi between December 1946 and November 1949 and included people from different parts of the country and political parties. Their discussions resulted in the formation of the Constitution of India, which finally came into effect on 26th January 1950.
The Constitution of India incorporated several challenges. It would bring about a clear distinction between India before and after Independence. One of the main features was the adoption of the universal adult franchise. It granted every citizen of India the right to vote and choose their leaders, irrespective of their religion, gender, or caste. The people had no experience in electing their leaders ever. Most of the Indians were not aware of who to choose as the majority was uneducated. During the initiation of their Constitution, the USA and United Kingdom granted this right to one group of citizens at a time.
During post-Independence, the major population of the nation was Hindu. Many people hoped for the country to follow strict Hindu ideals. However, the Constitution granted legal equality to every citizen who lived in the country. Apart from Hindus and Muslims, Sikh, Christian, Parsi, and Jain populations would have the same opportunities in seeking jobs in the government, public or private sectors alike. Many had opposed this system and wanted a theocratic society for Hinduism like that of Pakistan. However, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru declared that a diverse country like India will not and must not be a “Hindu Pakistan.”
Partition of India and Pakistan
After the great victory from British rule, India has to face a lot of challenges at the time of organizations that have to be carried out. After the victorious war from the British, the first thing that led to the partition of Indo-Pak. There was a huge exchange of population between India and Pakistan. In 1947, after the fight between India and Pakistan came to an end, another fight took place which was between India and Pakistan. At that time, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, along with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Lal Nehru, helped to integrate 500 princely states in order to make a United Nation.
Over a number of 3.5M Hindus and Sikhs, from West Bengal, North-West Frontier province Balochistan east Bengal and send migrated to India in the fear of Muslim Pakistan dominance. The communal violence provided by Pakistan killed almost 1 million Hindus Muslims and Sikhs on 30th January of 1948. Nathuram Godsay, due to a misunderstanding, interpreted that Mahatma Gandhi was responsible for the partition, and assassinated him. After the death of Mahatma Gandhi, more than a million people followed the procession to the cremation grounds.
Major Challenges Took Place During Integration
In 1947, under the guidance of the iron man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the integration process of India started. Out of all the states of India, the integration of 3 states became a major challenge for that particular time. The states contain
Junagadh: This state had a Hindu majority with a Muslim nawab. In order to shoot the matter, a voting system occurred in the state. The voting system led to 99% success as 99% of Hindu gave the vote to get integrated with India. The Nawab, however, took a decision that was unfavorable to the people of the state and refused to integrate with India, even though the state was not in contact with Pakistan.
Hyderabad: The state included the majority of Hindus with a Muslim Nizam. In order to get the state integrated as the Hindus wanted, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel sent the Indian army to depose the government which was coded as operation Polo. After some unnecessary revolts, the negotiations failed. The revolt took place between 13 and 29 1948 September. Next year, the state incorporated with the country, finally adding it to the United Nation.
The Area of Kashmir: The part included a majority of Muslims and a Hindu king. This led to the very first Indo-Pakistan that started in 1947 and continued till 1949. After some discussion and a lot of effort, finally, the constitution of India was applied in Kashmir.
Major Changes During 1952 to 1964
After the first voting process got over, India got its first ruling party. The Indian National Congress became the first ruling party of independent India. Jawahar Lal Nehru became the first prime minister of India. The major changes that took place after the full accomplishment of the independent country can be listed below:
Nehruji took the untouchability act out of the country.
In the Nehru administration, huge changes took place in the educational era. With the increase in primary schools, more colleges, institutions were built
The taxation of the poor farmers finally came to an end.
A huge amount of benefits are provided to blue-collar workers.
Many industries came into existence including steel, aviation, shipping, electricity and mining.
The betterment of infrastructure came into existence which included construction of major dams, irrigation canals, roads, thermal and hydroelectric power stations and many more.
Apart from all the mentioned changes, India also got through some state reorganization too.
The foreign policy and military conflicts maintained by Nehru ji was an inspiration.
After the death of Nehru Ji, the place was taken by her own daughter Indira Gandhi ji. She also worked a lot for the welfare of the country. A Lot has improved till now and still more has to be done in the upcoming year. By 2021, India has established itself as one of the reputed countries on the world list.
FAQs on India After Independence
1. What were the three most significant challenges India faced immediately after Independence in 1947, which are important for the CBSE 2025-26 exams?
The three most significant challenges faced by the newly independent India were:
- The Refugee Crisis: Following the partition, about 8 million refugees crossed into India from Pakistan. Providing them with shelter, food, and employment was a massive humanitarian and economic challenge.
- Integration of Princely States: There were over 500 princely states, each ruled by a maharaja or a nawab. Persuading them to join the new nation was a critical task to ensure the territorial integrity of India.
- Establishing a Political System: A new political framework had to be created that would serve the hopes and aspirations of a vast and diverse population, many of whom were living in deep poverty. This led to the drafting of the Constitution.
2. What was the primary role of the Planning Commission established in 1950?
The primary role of the Planning Commission was to guide India's economic development. It was tasked with designing and executing policies to lift Indians out of poverty. It adopted a 'mixed economy' model, where both the public sector (the state) and the private sector would play important roles in increasing production and generating employment. Its most notable contribution was the formulation of Five-Year Plans to systematically develop Indian industry and agriculture.
3. Why was the integration of over 500 princely states considered one of the most critical tasks for nation-building after 1947?
The integration of princely states was critical because failure to do so would have led to the fragmentation or 'Balkanisation' of India. A fragmented country with hundreds of independent territories would have been politically unstable, economically weak, and difficult to govern. Successful integration under leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was essential for establishing national unity, a common administrative system, and a unified domestic market, which are the foundations of a strong nation.
4. How did the Indian Constitution ensure a balance of power between the central government and the state governments?
The Indian Constitution established a federal structure that balanced power by clearly distributing legislative powers into three lists:
- The Union List, on which only the Centre could make laws (e.g., defence, foreign affairs).
- The State List, on which states could make laws (e.g., police, agriculture).
- The Concurrent List, where both Centre and states could legislate (e.g., education, forests).
This division ensured a strong central government to maintain national unity while giving states enough autonomy to govern effectively according to their local needs, thus reflecting India's principle of 'unity in diversity'.
5. Why did the Constituent Assembly decide against making Hindi the sole national language of India?
The Constituent Assembly decided against making Hindi the sole national language because many members, especially from non-Hindi-speaking regions in South India, strongly opposed it. They feared it would create a disadvantage for them in administration and public life. To prevent division, a compromise was reached: Hindi was declared the official language, not the national language. English was allowed to continue for official purposes, and 22 other languages were recognised as scheduled languages to respect the country's linguistic diversity.
6. Explain the significance of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for India's foreign policy in the years after independence.
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was a cornerstone of India's early foreign policy, led by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Its significance lay in its core principle: refusing to formally align with either the USA-led Western Bloc or the USSR-led Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. This policy was crucial as it allowed India to:
- Maintain its sovereignty and make independent foreign policy decisions.
- Focus on its own economic and social development without being drawn into superpower conflicts.
- Receive aid and maintain relationships with countries from both blocs.
7. What were the key features of the Indian Constitution adopted in 1950?
The Indian Constitution, adopted on January 26, 1950, has several key features. One of its most important features is the provision of Universal Adult Franchise, which granted all Indians above the age of 21 (now 18) the right to vote, regardless of gender, class, or education. It also guaranteed equality before the law to all citizens, irrespective of their caste or religious affiliation, and provided special privileges for the most disadvantaged sections of society, such as Adivasis and Dalits.
